General Assembly Update 2

Thursday of General Assembly began with the business session that everyone had been anticipating since before we all gathered in Winnipeg. The second reading of the Committee on Nominations was read and then the sitting committees of Assembly (Credentials, Finance, Strategic Plan and General Legislation) each reported to the floor with what they had put together over the last couple days of review, deliberation and prayer.

The first substantive recommendation that came to the floor was from the Committee on Strategic Plan. I was a recommendation that the President bring clarity to the roles and responsibilities of local churches, church leaders and International Workers within the framework of the Seamless Link covenant. The committee was made aware (as was Assembly) that International Workers are now being required to enter into Seamless Link covenants with local churches before they are being permitted to return to the field after their scheduled home assignments and that ministry funding for our International Workers who had entered into Seamless Link covenants was no longer to be supported out of the Global Advance Fund. The GAF would cover the cost of getting workers to the field and would provide their living allowance while overseas but ministry funds were to come out of the Seamless Link partnerships. It was concluded that local churches and their leaders are under-informed on these matters and we requested that the President ensure that the details and implications are clearly communicated to the churches.

After a speedy and uneventful adoption of the report of the Committee on Finance, we were exhorted to come before God in prayer and seek the Holy Spirit for guidance, wisdom and unity before we opened up the recommendations brought to the floor by the committee on General Legislation. We broke into small groups and humbled ourselves before God seeking those things. Afterward we got down to business with the first recommendation brought to the assembly floor. It was this:

Board Recommendation #1 States:

                That the Board of Directors be authorized to hold Assembly 2014 outside of Canada.

Resolution #1

                The committee recommends the adoption of the Board of Directors Recommendation #1

This was a motion to give the BOD permission to explore and pursue the option of once again holding assembly outside of Canada as it was in 2010. The rationale given was that it was considered a positive experience by those who attended and that the connected short-term missions opportunities provided a “life-changing” experience for delegates who took part.

Right off the bat several people spoke articulately against the motion citing issues such as cost, timing, deliberative participation, and the intent and purpose of this assembly. It was noted that the timing of Assembly 2010 which was moved out of the usual summer months to save money on travel and accommodations became an impediment for our official workers and valued theologians at Ambrose University College as the revised dates fell into the middle of the semester. And I also spoke against the motion because I was concerned both by the diminishment of the witness of Assembly within Canada to the communities in which it is regularly held, and because we have not as of yet taken the opportunity to hold Assembly in Calgary since Ambrose University College’s relocation – and as a result many of our constituents have not become acquainted with our schools who are such a big partner of the denomination.

Several others spoke in favour of the motion citing such reasons as the increased and important focus on global missions, the accessibility for international workers and the ready connections that launch from an overseas Assembly to short term mission trips. It was noted that attendance was also only nominally lower for Assembly in Turkey than it was this year in Winnipeg (even though a representative from the Committee on Credentials later  acknowledged that there were significantly fewer official workers in Turkey than there are this year in Winnipeg).

In the end the motion was voted on and the results were too close for a voiced vote, and then it was determined that the results were too close to call on raised hands. A division of the assembly was called for and the Tellers counted delegates as they stood to declare their support (or non support) for the motion. After the numbers were tabulated it was announced that the motion had passed by a very narrow margin and that the BOD is now authorized to take Assembly 2014 outside of Canada if they so desire.

That was all the business we had time for on Thursday morning. The meeting was adjourned and we all headed off to lunch.

After lunch was the time that was set aside for break-out sessions on seminar topics that had been selected when delegates registered for Assembly. I attended two different sessions, the first one entitled “Greenhouses” was about identifying, encouraging and mobilizing emerging leaders and the second one was a lecture on a Biblical Theology of Wealth and Poverty. The first session was beneficial, but the second session stood out as extremely impactful and I would not at all be surprised if some of the material, and questions raised in that seminar finds its way into a preaching series within the next year – this is stuff that we in Estevan NEED to hear.

The evening was capped off by another worship service focused again on Justice and Compassion. This evening we heard about the National Women’s Ministry project centering around Defend Dignity from Glendyne Gerrard, and then our speaker was Lorna Dueck – a popular and well respected television journalist who is also a member of our Alliance Family and an advocate for justice and compassion issues. Lorna was both insightful and (once again) very challenging. Many people were prompted by the Holy Spirit to respond to her call and make a decision to live the Gospel out for others.

Myself and Aaron signing the agreements with Lorne Geil, Dan Jensen and Steve Kerr witnessing

One of the most exciting parts of the day for me was the opportunity to sign our first "5^th S" agreement with the Ancaster Dundas Church Plant in Hamilton, ON. We as a church have agreed to partner in the style of a seamless link covenant with a church being planted by Rev. Aaron Gerrard (who many of you may remember from last year’s family camp) and to take them on as a special responsibility and opportunity to be involved in crucial church multiplication ventures within Canada. Aaron and his wife Shalene will be joining us on July 15 in our worship service where Aaron will be speaking about church planting and the vision of ADCP after which he and Shalene will be available for a Q&A time with the congregation. You can obtain a copy of the agreement here if you want to know more, and read the first Ancaster/Dundas newsletter here. Please plan on attending that service to learn more about this exciting opportunity we are involved in.

Well it’s now fairly late and I’m ready to head to bed. Business continues tomorrow first thing in the morning and I’ll do my best to update you again after the day’s activities. Please keep praying.

God Bless,

Chris